Abbas says Palestinians will bring hunger strike case to UN

TUNIS- President Mahmud Abbas on Monday confirmed that his government intended to bring to the United Nations the case of a mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
"The Palestinian government is determined to again approach the UN General Assembly to obtain recognition of a Palestinian state ... and the freeing of prisoners, thousands of whom are on hunger strike," Abbas told Tunisia's constituent assembly.

Abbas was conducting his third visit to Tunisia since the fall of longtime dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011. His comments came a day after Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said while on a visit to Cairo that the case of the hunger-striking prisoners would be brought to the United Nations. Some 1,350 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel are currently 13 days into a mass hunger strike to protest against their detention conditions, with many more expected to join them in the coming days. Another eight prisoners have been refusing food for longer. Two of them are into the 61st day of their hunger strike. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------